Stanley Park
A Hawaiian-inspired event taking place at the Vancouver Aquarium this weekend was organized to educate visitors about the importance of the ocean that connects B.C. to the tropical islands and how we can all better care for it.
It’s also a good excuse to get out of the cold and enjoy Honu by the Sea, a fantasy musical about Kainoa, a teenage Hawaiian surfer who finds a magical sea star that makes his wish to spend a day underwater come true. The production is presented in partnership with the Oahu Visitors Bureau. (Honu is the Hawaiian word for “green sea turtle.)
Writer-composer Johnson Enos created the family-friendly show with tunes depicting a happy under-the-sea community faced with a contemporary environmental reality — humans are making a mess of the ocean and threatening life beneath the waves.
Performed by a seasoned island cast, the production focuses on the value of friendship, partnership and the virtue of protecting and saving the ocean landscape — every bit of litter removed makes the sea a safer and cleaner place.
Visitors to the Vancouver Aquarium this weekend can enjoy the Honu by the Sea performances in the Teck Engagement gallery as part of the regular cost of admission. Guests can also enjoy Hawaiian-themed family activities throughout the weekend and Island-style specials at the Aquarium Café. A list of performance times can be found at vanaqua.org/experience/eventshttp://vanaqua.org/experience/events.
False Creek
Telus World of Science is opening its doors this weekend to hundreds of families to celebrate Family Literacy Week in B.C.
In partnership with Decoda Literacy Solutions, Science World is hosting a special weekend dedicated to family learning activities. The two-day exhibit will focus on STEAM education, which is a hands-on approach to learning that integrates science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. To that end there will be plenty of special exhibits, interactive displays and live performances organized to encourage informal family learning. The event is just one of many literacy events taking place across B.C. during Family Literacy Week, Jan. 24 to 31. The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of family literacy and the impact it has on children, parents and society as a whole.
Special events celebrating Family Literacy Week take place Jan. 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1455 Quebec St. Visit scienceworld.ca.
Downtown and Granville Island
Fans of the National Geographic Channel’s reality TV show Wicked Tuna are in for a treat this weekend as star “Tricky Dave” Carraro, captain of the FV-Tuna.com and heavyweight in the North Atlantic waters, visits the Vancouver International Boat Show. Carraro, described as one of the most respected and talented tuna fishermen of the Gloucester fleet, will be available for photos and meet-and-greets at B.C. Place throughout the show, which runs now through Jan. 25.
Also taking part in the boat show is Prop Formula1 racer and national champion in the personal watercraft category, B.C. local Mike McLellan. Prop Formula1 is a premier North American racing series, and McLellan is one of only three drivers licensed at this level in Canada. As well, celebrity wake boarder and surfer Josh Palma will be on hand to meet with fans and speak about his gravity-defying stunts on the water.
Another highlight of this year’s show, SailFest, was organized to delight sailors with the most extensive and state-of-the-art display of boat models, nautical products, sailing services and maritime destinations on the West Coast.
SailFest features many speakers, including Eric Holden of the Clipper Around the World Race and the ground-breaking technologies of the UBC SailBot team.
This award-winning team hopes to be the first to win the MicroTransat, an ambitious challenge that requires a fully autonomous, wind-powered vessel cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Visit the team and see some of their impressive creations at Space 631 on the main floor of B.C. Place. And don’t forget to check out the largest number of new sailboats on display anywhere on the West Coast at the Floating Show on Granville Island.
Meanwhile, students from Nakusp Secondary’s outdoor education class returns for the second time and will be showcasing their tri-flasher fishing lure, the Rollyblade. This one-of-a-kind fishing lure can be used with any bait at any boat speed to flash trailing fish.
With more than 100 seminars taking place this weekend, the Boat Show promises inspiring sessions from leading international boating industry experts. For all the sport fishing fans out there, the show also offers seminars on topics ranging from deep-sea fishing off the coast of Vancouver Island, freshwater lake fishing, fishing the rivers of B.C. and an opportunity to meet Mike Mitchell, host of Sport Fishing.
The 2015 Vancouver International Boat Show runs until Jan. 25 with free shuttle buses and water ferries operating continuously between B.C. Place and Granville Island. For a complete schedule, visit VancouverBoatShow.ca.
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